In contrast to current Mobile Internet protocol (IP) and Proxy Mobile IP approaches, which rely on centralized entities for both control and data plane operation, a distributed and dynamic mobility management (DMM) approach may utilize mobility anchors towards the edge of the network.
To enable a DMM approach, software defined networking (SDN) may be used, where the control and the data forwarding planes are separated, thereby allowing for a quicker provision and configuration of network connections. With SDN, network administrators may program the control of the traffic in a centralized way, without being required to configure independently each of the network's hardware devices, which may also require physical access to them. This approach may decouple the system that makes decisions about where traffic is sent, (e.g., the control plane), from the underlying system that forwards traffic to the selected destination, (e.g., the data plane), potentially simplifying networking and the deploying of new protocols and mechanisms.
OpenFlow is a standardized protocol between the control and forwarding layers of the SDN architecture. OpenFlow may allow accessing and modifying the forwarding plane of network devices such as switches and routers. It should be noted that OpenFlow is an example of a protocol for the interface between control and forwarding layers.
IP mobility management may aid in providing the “always-on” and ubiquitous service envisioned by future technologies. However, current IP mobility management protocols do not necessarily meet the expectations regarding deployment success. Accordingly, proprietary customized solutions are implemented instead.